PM flags off Udhampur-Jammu train (April 14, 2005)

M A I N   N E W S

Manmohan flags off first Udhampur-Jammu train
S.P. Sharma & Tripti Nath
Tribune News Service

Udhampur, April 13
As a Baisakhi gift for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, inaugurated the 55-km-long Udhampur-Jammu rail link by flagging off the Uttar Samparak Kranti Express here this morning.

This is the first train connecting this mountainous district with the rest of the country.

The inauguration of the rail link is being seen as a significant step towards the realisation of the ambitious project of connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country with rail link.

The Prime Minister announced that the construction of the railway track between Udhampur and Baramula would be completed in 2007. The government has earmarked a sum of Rs 1000 crore for the project that is aimed at accelerating development of the state. The Jammu-Srinagar rail link has been accorded the status of a national project and it would not be allowed to starve for funds, he said.

He also announced that the railway track between Jammu and Jalandhar would be doubled.

Dr Manmohan Singh said during his last visit to Jammu he had said the Centre would take steps to make the state prosperous and the rail project was a step in this direction.

He said the Centre would leave no stone unturned to accelerate development in the state that was braving terrorism and other challenges. "We are committed to usher in a new era in Jammu and Kashmir so that the people of the state get happiness and prosperity".

The Prime Minister stressed that the Centre wanted to make people of the state partners in development. He asked the state government to allow the benefits of the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Indian Constitution to its people by giving more powers to panchayats.

Among others who spoke on the occasion were the Railway Minister, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Governor, Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), the Chief Minister of J&K, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Union Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma.

This was Dr Manmohan Singh's second visit to the state in the last six days. He had visited Srinagar on April 7 to flag off the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service.

The foundation stone of the rail link at Udhampur, which is headquarters of the strategic Northern Command of the Indian Army, was laid by the then Prime Minister, Ms Indira Gandhi, in 1983 and it has taken 22 years to complete the 55-km-long track. The track passes through terrorism-affected areas and it would be a challenge for the security forces to protect it.

The broad gauge line constructed at a cost of Rs 515 crore, passes through the terrorism-affected mountainous terrain and has 158 bridges and 10 tunnels. The longest tunnel is 2.45 km long. The Uttar Samparak Kranti train would run between Udhampur and Delhi thrice a week and cover a distance of 641 kms in 11.20 hours.

Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav announced that one member of each family whose land had been acquired for the rail project between Udhampur and Baramula, would be given employment in the Railways. Catering jobs would also be given to the local people.

He said it had been decided to set up a sleeper factory at Kathua and a unit for manufacturing rail tracks at Manwal, near here.

He said a sum of Rs 100 crore had been earmarked for the project in the current year. Mr Azad said the rail line would make travel to Vaishno Devi shrine easier. The Mufti said the rail link would result in the development of the area and the places en route.

Meanwhile, as the Prime Minister pressed a button to give green signal to the train, a group of youth raised slogans demanding the implementation of the Wazir Commission report which was an election promise of the Congress.

The progress of the project was slow because of scanty allotment of funds. The work gained momentum after 1994. During his visit to Srinagar in May 2002, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had announced that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula line would be completed within five years and the first train will enter the Kashmir valley before August 15, 2007.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development, Gulam Nabi Azad said the inauguration of the Udhampur-Delhi train will reduce the travel time of Vaishno Devi bound pilgrims. Instead of travelling till Jammu, they can now travel to Udhampur which is closer to the Vaishno Devi shrine.

Kashmir crisis--Cong, PDP adamant

Oct.15, 2002

M A I N   N E W S

Cong, PDP adamant
Azad is LCP chief, gets support of 8 Ind, Panthers
S.P. Sharma and M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Srinagar/Jammu, October 14
The PCC chief, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, was unanimously elected leader of the Legislature Congress Party (LCP) in Srinagar today even as both the Congress and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) stuck to their guns on the issue of chief ministership of the coalition government.

Immediately after his election as CPL leader, Mr Azad left for Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, and discuss the situation regarding the position of the Congress to form a government. He clarified that his aim was not to stake claim for forming a government.

The Governor had invited the leaders of the NC, Congress and PDP separately to explore the possibility of forming a government before October 17, when the term of the present government ends.

All 20 Congress MLAs supported the candidature of Mr Azad for chief ministership when the AICC leaders, Mr R.K. Dhawan, Mr Ahmed Patel and Mr Satyajit Singh Gaekwad, met them individually to elicit their views on the issue. A Congress spokesman claimed that eight Independents have also supported Mr Azad for the post. Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, vice-president of the PCC, also supported him.

Mr Azad said the Congress wanted that a coalition government should be formed in J & K with the PDP. Further talks on the possibility would be held with the PDP chief, Mufti Sayeed.

The Panthers Party Chairman, Dr Bhim Singh, announced unconditional support to the Congress leader, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, if his name was cleared for heading the coalition government.

He told newsmen in Jammu that his party, which had four members in the House, would support any candidate from the Jammu region for the Chief Minister's post.

The Panthers leader said a Jammuite had never been installed as Chief Minister. In view of the fragmented verdict, a situation had been thrown up for giving the Chief Minister's post to a Jammuite.

He said Ms Mehbooba Mufti's rejection of a Jammuite as Chief Minister was unfortunate.

On the other hand, hectic activity is taking place in the National Conference and PDP camps.

After lying low for four days after the election results came in, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's residence was again humming with activity. The NC chief, Mr Omar Abdullah, also met party workers after returning from Raj Bhavan. Two Independent MLAs also visited the CM's residence. The Working Committee of the NC is reported to have decided yesterday that the party should not surrender its claim of forming the government.

Mr Omar Abdullah, who is also a minister at the Centre, left for Delhi in the afternoon, reportedly to submit his resignation from the ministry as he had announced during the third phase of the election after getting annoyed over the criticism of the NC government by certain senior leaders of the BJP, including Mrs Sushma Swaraj.

The Working Committee and the Legislature Party of the PDP also met at the residence of Mr Mufti in Naogam on the outskirts of the town.

Mr Azad, who arrived from Delhi in the afternoon, said it would have been ideal to have a Congress-led coalition government with the PDP and other like-minded people in it. The CPL meeting was held to elicit the opinion of the elected MLAs as the Mufti at his meeting with Mrs Sonia Gandhi had said that the members of the PDP had expressed the desire that only he (Mufti) should head the coalition government.

He said with the national-level character of the Congress, which was enjoying the position of the Opposition party in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, it was capable of rectifying the wrongs that had been done in the state during the 27-year rule of the National Conference.

Mr Azad said he was not in a hurry as three days were still there for forming the new government. He accused the NC of trying to kidnap certain Independent MLAs who had announced their support to the Congress. Four MLAs were taken to the house of an NC minister yesterday by policemen. One MLA, Mr Manohar Lal, was missing, he said.

He said after having been defeated in the Assembly elections, the NC should allow the elected MLAs to discharge their function of choosing the leader and the official machinery should not be misused by Dr Abdullah to manipulate things.

Mr Azad said a group of Congress leaders had identified the common agreeable points in the manifestos of the Congress and PDP after two days of exercise.

Soon after the meeting of the LCP, Haji Nissar, an Independent MLA from Kargil, announced that he would support the Congress.

Kashmir crisis---Ultimatum to Cong, PDP

Oct.16, 2002

M A I N   N E W S

Ultimatum to Cong, PDP
Join hands, then seek our support: Inds
S. P. Sharma & Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

CPM MLA Mohammad Yousuf Taragami and PDP leader Ghulam Hassan Mir (bandaged wrist) with other leaders of the PDF after a meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday. — Tribune Photo Amin War

Srinagar, October 15
The efforts of the Congress to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of some Independents and smaller groups received a setback today as the group of seven Independents led by the CPM MLA, Mr Mohammad Yousuf Taragami, changed its stand and announced that they will extend their support only in case the Congress and the PDP joined hands.

These MLAs had earlier said that they would support the Congress in forming the government.

This has created a crisis because a government has to be installed in the state before Thursday when the term of the present Assembly expires. The Governor's rule will have to be imposed in case any party fails to stake its claim for forming the government.

PDP president Mufti Sayeed addresses a Press conference in Srinagar on Tuesday. — PTI photo

These independent MLAs held a separate meeting in the afternoon with Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, MLA of the PDP, in a hotel following which they changed their stand and urged both Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, CLP leader, and Mufti Sayeed of the PDP to join hands.

They held a long meeting with Mr Azad in the evening and later left for the residence of Mr Mufti. No word had come till the filing of this report.

Following the meeting with Mr Azad, Mr Taragami told mediapersons that they had clearly told Mr Azad that they would not support any single party because the verdict of the people was in favour of the PDP in Kashmir valley and the Congress in Jammu region. The verdict was against the government of the National Conference headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah. All non-NC and non-BJP parties should join hands to provide a stable government to honour the mandate of the people.

However, the Congress circles were confident that they would be in a position to form the government and the state would not be allowed to plunge into a constitutional crisis.

On the other hand, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, flew to Delhi this morning. His supporters indicated that when the Congress with a strength of 20 MLAs was claiming to form a government , why should not the NC stake claim to forming a government.

Earlier in the day Mr Mufti made it clear that a stalemate had been created in the talks between the Congress and the PDP because the former was adamant to head the coalition government. He claimed that the mandate of the people in the Kashmir valley was in favour of the PDP which has a commitment with the people.

Asserting that the verdict of the Kashmiris was in favour of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) , Mufti Mohammed Sayeed asked the Congress to "rise above partisan interests and pave the way for his party to lead a coalition government " in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said his party "should lead the coalition and it is only Kashmir that is to be addressed".

He held that due to a clear mandate by the people of Kashmir , the people knew that the PDP had certain commitments. Mufti held that his party had no pre-poll alliance with any party on account of its basic agenda. Further elaborating, Mufti said the verdict in Kashmir was clearly in favour of the PDP and against the National Conference in Kashmir, while it was in favour of the Congress, and not the BJP in Jammu.

The PDP leader held the Congress responsible for the delay in the formation of the government in the state, but said that the option to have an alliance in this direction was still open. "When we are together, let us approach things together", he said.

The former Union Home Minister, who returned from New Delhi after meeting several Congress leaders yesterday, also had a meeting with the Jammu and Kashmir Governor today.

Mufti said the ball was in the Congress court, which will have to be far-sighted vis-a-vis the future government of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir crisis---2002 elections

Oct.17, 2002

M A I N   N E W S

Governor extends deadline
Stalemate continues in J&K
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 16
Providing a breather to the three major political parties which have so far failed to cobble an alliance to reach the magic figure of 44 to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, today extended the deadline for the show of strength till 5 p.m. on October 21.

As per the schedule, the term of the present Assembly was to expire tomorrow and a new government was supposed to be sworn in by tomorrow evening. However, the decision of the Governor has provided more time to the major political parties to negotiate among themselves or with the Independents to be in a position to stake claim for forming the government. The NC government of Dr Farooq Abdullah will continue to be in office as the caretaker government.

The order of the Governor came in the evening while the Legislature Congress Party leader, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, was trying to secure the support of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and the Independents to meet tomorrow's deadline.

At his meeting with the Governor this morning Mr Azad did not stake claim of forming the government, but sought more time and appraised him that the Congress had not yet parted ways with the PDP and negotiations were still going on. Before leaving for Raj Bhavan, Mr Azad had detailed discussions with the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. None of the other two parties has so far staked claim of forming the government.

According to Raj Bhavan sources in the talks that the Governor had with the presidents of the NC, Congress and the PDP, they did not clarify the developing political situation adequately enough to enable the Governor to reach firm conclusions and decisions for moving towards a resolution of the issue in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Governor has asked the leaders of the National Conference (NC), the Congress and the PDP to meet him along with the duly elected leaders of their respective legislature parties (in case the legislature party leader happens to be someone other than the party president) at a mutually convenient time on any day before 5 pm on Monday positively to clarify whether their party had the requisite support among the members of the newly constituted Assembly to form a stable government which will command majority or will otherwise be able to win a vote of confidence on the floor of the House.

The Governor has said that any of the leaders of these parties making such a claim will have to bring along the necessary evidence in their support, including any relevant resolutions of their party or their legislature party as well as valid letters of support from the parties, groups or individual members concerned who have given their clear agreement to join or support the government of their party or a coalition of which their party is a member.

The CPM MLA, Mr Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is heading the group of seven Independents, at his meeting with the Governor earlier in the day urged that the time for staking claim to forming a government should be extended beyond tomorrow.

Mr Azad, Mr Tarigami and others mediating with the Mufti were busy in hectic discussions throughout the day. In an overnight development, Mr Azad made a last ditch effort of reconciliation with the Mufti and himself went to his residence this morning to personally break the deadlock with the PDP and hold fresh talks.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Mufti was adamant that he should be the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister could be from the Congress. However, sources said that the Congress high command wanted that the coalition government should be led by Mr Azad and none else.

Certain Congress leaders said the party had offered that with Mr Azad as the Chief Minister, there could be two Deputy Chief Ministers — one from the PDP and the other from some other party which supports the government.

The Mufti could head the coordination committee of the alliance partners to supervise the functioning of the government, they said.

Kashmir crisis--2002 elections

Oct.18, 2002

M A I N   N E W S

Governor's rule in J&K
Farooq refuses to be caretaker CM
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 17
Governor's rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir late tonight after a week-long stalemate over the formation of a new government and Dr Farooq Abdullah declining to continue as caretaker Chief Minister.

According to an official spokesman, the Governor, Mr Girish Chander Saxena, this evening initiated action for the imposition of Governor's rule in the state. Quoting Raj Bhavan sources, the spokesman said this would come into force from midnight tonight.

The stalemate over the formation of a new government took a new turn late this evening, with Dr Abdullah declining to continue as caretaker Chief Minister after the expiry of the present term of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. This led to a constitutional crisis in the state as no party was in a position to stake claim for the formation of a new government.

The stalemate took a new turn following a nearly two-hour meeting of senior functionaries of the ruling National Conference here this evening. The meeting was attended among others by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference President, Mr Omar Abdullah, and other senior party leaders at the Gupkar residence of the Chief Minister. The meeting started at about 6.30 p.m. and lasted till 8.10 p.m. this evening. The Chief Minister and the National Conference President were not available for comment after the meeting

It also came as a surprise following the appeal of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and for the second time by the Governor, Mr Girish Chander Saxena, to Dr Abdullah to continue till a new arrangement was made.

Dr Abdullah, who tendered his resignation on October 11, a day after the counting of votes was over, had been asked by the Governor to continue in office till an alternative arrangement was made. The two major political parties, the Congress with 20 MLAs and the PDP with 16 MLAs could not arrive at any agreement to form a coalition government over the past seven days, while the ruling National Conference, being the single largest party with 28 members did not stake a claim to form the new government. A party requires 44 members in the 87-member House for the formation of a government in Jammu and Kashmir.

As the Governor yesterday extended the deadline for the formation of a new government till October 21, he asked the Chief Minister to continue as caretaker till Monday.

The Chief Minister drove to Raj Bhavan this morning and held a over 40-minute meeting with the Governor, requesting him that he had "no moral right to be in office after midnight tonight". The term of the present Legislative Assembly elected in 1996 expires today.

The PCC chief and CLP leader, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was scheduled to leave for New Delhi for consultations with senior party leaders, including the party President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, on the issue, had to cancel his visit later today. This decision was taken after the Chief Minister this morning announced his decision not to continue as caretaker Chief Minister after he had a meeting with the Governor.

The National Conference, soon after the declaration of results of the Assembly elections on Thursday last, had made it clear that it was not staking its claim to form the government even as it emerged as the single largest party in the Legislative Assembly. The stalemate continued since then even as the two major parties, the Congress, having made inroads in the Jammu region, and the PDP, bagging 16 seats in its first innings, could not reach any agreement to form a coalition. Both parties remained stuck to their respective positions and could not pave the way for any breakthrough. The PDP leader and former Union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was adamant on his party getting to lead the coalition government with the Congress for having got a mandate for its manifesto.

Another group of eight Independent members, united under the banner of the Democratic People's Forum (PDF), and other MLAs led by a CPM MLA, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, here the other day urged the Governor to extend the term of the formation of a government.

Kashmir crisis after 2002 elections

Oct.19, 2002

M A I N   N E W S

Saxena 'bowed under BJP pressure'
Cong renews efforts to persuade Mufti
S. P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 18
Having taken by surprise, most of the parties except the National Conference have accused the Governor, Mr G. C Saxena, of succumbing to the pressure of the BJP-led Central government and suddenly imposing the Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir by violating his own deadline of October 21 set for any party to stake claim to form a government in the state.

These parties have alleged that the caretaker Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, forced the imposition of the Governor's rule in the state by refusing to continue in the office.

The proclamation issued by the Governor, copies of which were provided to mediapersons this afternoon, says since no political party has come forward to form a stable government in the state despite efforts in this regard and more so Dr Abdullah had conveyed his inability on October 17 to continue as Chief Minister beyond midnight, the Governor, after having satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, imposed Governor's rule with the concurrence of the President.

Reacting sharply, these parties have alleged that Mr Saxena succumbed to the pressure of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and defeated the popular mandate.

Surprised over the action, the CLP leader, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, convened a meeting of the legislators supporting him for forming the government and took stock of the situation. He later left for Delhi to brief the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, of the situation and discuss the future course of action.

He told mediapersons after the meeting that it was unfortunate that the Governor first extended the deadline for forming the government by five days and suddenly imposed the Governor's rule without consulting any political party. Mr Saxena had sent letters to the NC, the Congress and the PDP on October 16 asking them to stake their claims till 5 pm on October 21.

Mr Azad said there was no justification for imposing the Governor's rule when Mr Saxena had himself extended the deadline. There was pressure on the Governor from the Centre which resulted in such action.

The Panthers Party chief, Mr Bhim Singh, described the action as a "Delhi-sponsored assault on the democratic process in the state". He said Raj Bhavan had failed to justify why the Governor's rule had been imposed and the Assembly placed in suspended animation when the process for installing a democratic government was initiated by various parties.

Mr Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPM MLA and leader of the seven-member group of Independent legislators, said those opposing a change in Kashmir had temporarily won by succeeding in imposing the Governor's rule.

One the other hand, the NC has said the decision of Dr Farooq Abdullah not to continue in the office beyond the expiry of he term of the Assembly was in the interest of the constitutional propriety and was based on consultations with a wide range of legal opinion. Constitutional experts were uniformly of the view that the continuation of Dr Abdullah as Chief Minister had become untenable once the tenure of the old House had expired and a new Assembly constituted.

Meanwhile, renewed efforts have been initiated by the Congress high command to break the deadlock and persuade Mr Mufti Sayeed, President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to support the formation of a Congress led coalition government in the state.

A highly placed source in the Congress told TNS that senior leaders, including Mr Manmohan Singh and Mr Arjun Singh, were in contact with Mr Sayeed to muster his support although the Congress had got the backing of 42 MLAs.

Briefing mediapersons about his meeting with the newly elected legislators, Mr Azad said besides the 20 MLAs of the Congress, seven Independents, four MLAs of the Panthers party, attended the meeting. The seven Independents, who have extended conditional support to the Congress, were not invited to the meting. He alleged that Dr Abdullah had himself precipitated the crisis although there was no harm in continuing as caretaker Chief Minister for five more days when he had already remained in the office for a week.

He said he had the support of at least 40 MLAs, but "we want that the PDP should also come along in the formation of the government as the mandate was against the NC".

Meanwhile, Mr Bhim Singh met Dr Abdullah and Mr Tarigami and had given a deadline of three days to the Congress to form a government failing which he will himself stake the claim to form a government.

It is learnt that many newly elected MLAs in a meeting with Mr Azad said he should have pre-empted the tacit of Dr Abdullah by staking the claim to form the government yesterday.

JAMMU: The Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), headed by Mr Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has staked the claim for the post of Chief Minister on the basis of its strength in having defeated the NC from its stronghold in the Kashmir valley and not on the consideration that the top post should go to a Kashmiri.

The General Secretary of the PDP, Mr Ved Mahajan, told newsmen here on Friday that the PDP manifesto had promised to end regional discrimination and development of backward areas in the Jammu region.

Farooq Resigns-Governor’s rule ‘to be short’

Oct.20, 2002

M A I N   N E W S

Governor's rule 'to be short'
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 19
The decks seem to be clearing for the installation of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir with the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, today announcing that he could invite any largest group in a position to provide a stable government and which, he was satisfied, might win the vote of confidence on the floor of the Assembly.

Mr Saxena told mediapersons here that there was no constitutional binding that he should invite the single largest party, but the Governor has to be satisfied whether any group commands the majority and would survive the vote of confidence in the Assembly.

Replying to a question whether he would stick to the magic figure of 44 to invite any party to form the government, Mr Saxena said the claim would have to be weighed and the strength would be based on the figure of 85 in the House of 87 because the two legislators of Leh sponsored by the Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) have said that they would not support any party in the Assembly.

He said it would be his effort to keep Governor's rule as short as possible in the state and if the stalemate continued it would be the responsibility of the political parties to come back to him with a credible strength. "We will not allow the people to suffer the consequences of the current impasse", he said.

The Governor said he would not appoint any advisers at the moment, but the matter could be considered in case the Governor's rule stretched long.

He refused to comment whether Dr Farooq Abdullah had created a constitutional crisis by refusing to function as the caretaker Chief Minister beyond the midnight of October 17. Governor's rule had to be imposed without sticking to the extended deadline of October 21 because of the constitutional breakdown and more so because no political party had staked claim for forming the government.

He said the complex situation had emerged due to the fractured verdict that the people gave in the Assembly elections.

He said he held two rounds of discussions with the political parties. The situation remained fluid and nothing crystalised in the first round as no party was in a position to prove the majority on the floor of the Assembly and after the second round of talks, the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP, were requested to come back by 5 pm on October 21 in case they managed the requisite strength to form the government.

Mr Saxena said he had explained to Dr Abdullah on October 17 when he insisted that he would not continue as the caretaker Chief Minister that there was no deadline in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir requiring that the Chief Minister should resign. He could have continued till an alternate arrangement was made.

"That created a situation of breakdown of the Constitution and I had to impose the Governor's rule under Section 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution as I could not administer the oath to anyone because no claim of any party was pending before me," Mr Saxena said.

Mr Saxena said the doors were open for any party to stake the claim of forming the government even beyond October 21.

Earlier, Mr Saxena congratulated voters for braving bullets to participate in the elections.

He also lauded the candidates for participating in the elections despite the killing of two contestants and bids on the lives of many others.

Praising the security forces for providing a secure environment for the conduct of poll, Mr Saxena said "I salute the memory of those personnel who lost their lives while performing their duties".

The Election Commission also came in for some plaudits from the Governor for organising visibly free, fair and transparent elections as did the state administration and police for their assistance to the commission.